Windows 7 Ultimate already been cracked and activated

[Candlelight]

http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/...ate-cracked-and-activated-with-oem-master-key

Windows 7 has yet to even be released officially to the general public, and already the dodgy folk on the Internet have fully cracked and activated the Ultimate version, with help from a leaked Lenovo OEM DVD .ISO file.

The news comes from various Chinese forums who state that you can already pass Windows Genuine Advantage validation offline, OEM style.

The leaked .ISO was originally posted on a Chinese forum, which was then downloaded in order for people to get hold of the boot.wim, and in turn retrieving the OEM-SLP key, plus the OEM activation certificate. Microsoft uses the same digitally signed OEM certificate, which has an .xrm-ms extension, as that in Windows Vista. Another point to note is that the key is a master one, which can be used to activate other OEM branded installations, like ones from Dell, HP or indeed Lenovo.

This is quite concerning; as mentioned, Windows 7 has yet to even be released, and it can be fully activated. This demonstrates the risk such a huge company as Microsoft takes when distributing a product as significant as an operating system, but this was essentially inevitable, regardless. It's interesting that a product can be pirated and activated before it's properly released to customers.

Very unfortunate. However I doubt a high percentage will go down this road.

 

[Mr. B]

Not surprising. It's not like their "copy protection" efforts have ever been all that serious anyway.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

Not surprising; any sort of copy protection can and will be cracked; it's useless. All it does is cost money, keep a few novices out of pirating, but at the same time keep quite a few of those who actually buy the software on the phone to dial support because the damn system isn't working as it's supposed to.

 

[Geckothan]

What's unfortunate about it?

 

[Amaris]

Not surprising; any sort of copy protection can and will be cracked; it's useless. All it does is cost money, keep a few novices out of pirating, but at the same time keep quite a few of those who actually buy the software on the phone to dial support because the damn system isn't working as it's supposed to.

Bingo.
I have Microsoft Flight Simulator X, one of my favorite programs. I am on the phone every couple of weeks because the software continues to think I'm on a trial period, and locks me out. I call Microsoft, and each call takes an hour to get it working again. I love the software but I can't use it. It's a shame. Twice, Microsoft told me "We can't keep giving you new codes", and every time I've said "Well then you refund me my money, because I paid for a software that refuses to let me use it. My registration is on file, my call history is on file."


J.

 

[Saturn0660]

Not surprising; any sort of copy protection can and will be cracked; it's useless. All it does is cost money, keep a few novices out of pirating, but at the same time keep quite a few of those who actually buy the software on the phone to dial support because the damn system isn't working as it's supposed to.

Bingo.
I have Microsoft Flight Simulator X, one of my favorite programs. I am on the phone every couple of weeks because the software continues to think I'm on a trial period, and locks me out. I call Microsoft, and each call takes an hour to get it working again. I love the software but I can't use it. It's a shame. Twice, Microsoft told me "We can't keep giving you new codes", and every time I've said "Well then you refund me my money, because I paid for a software that refuses to let me use it. My registration is on file, my call history is on file."


J.

How is X? I still use an old copy of 2000 Premium. Mostly because I love using the Concord for around the world flights.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Not surprising; any sort of copy protection can and will be cracked; it's useless. All it does is cost money, keep a few novices out of pirating, but at the same time keep quite a few of those who actually buy the software on the phone to dial support because the damn system isn't working as it's supposed to.

Bingo.
I have Microsoft Flight Simulator X, one of my favorite programs. I am on the phone every couple of weeks because the software continues to think I'm on a trial period, and locks me out. I call Microsoft, and each call takes an hour to get it working again. I love the software but I can't use it. It's a shame. Twice, Microsoft told me "We can't keep giving you new codes", and every time I've said "Well then you refund me my money, because I paid for a software that refuses to let me use it. My registration is on file, my call history is on file."


J.

I'd just say "to hell with it" and crack the stupid program. That's absurd. This is the sort of bullshit copy prevention gets us.

 

[Marc]

Not surprising; any sort of copy protection can and will be cracked; it's useless. All it does is cost money, keep a few novices out of pirating, but at the same time keep quite a few of those who actually buy the software on the phone to dial support because the damn system isn't working as it's supposed to.

Bingo.
I have Microsoft Flight Simulator X, one of my favorite programs. I am on the phone every couple of weeks because the software continues to think I'm on a trial period, and locks me out. I call Microsoft, and each call takes an hour to get it working again. I love the software but I can't use it. It's a shame. Twice, Microsoft told me "We can't keep giving you new codes", and every time I've said "Well then you refund me my money, because I paid for a software that refuses to let me use it. My registration is on file, my call history is on file."


J.

How is X? I still use an old copy of 2000 Premium. Mostly because I love using the Concord for around the world flights.

Big and bloated.

I bought a copy so which switch between Flight Sim X and X-Plane though Flight Sim had a few features that would be nice in X-Plane such as the showing you the correct taxi way path.

But if you haven't heard Flight Sim X is the last. Microsoft have terminate development and with the programmers being redoployed if lucky and retrenched if unlucky.

 

[Amaris]

How is X? I still use an old copy of 2000 Premium. Mostly because I love using the Concord for around the world flights.

I think it's a lot of fun, although I also own X-PLANE and that game is out of this world awesome.

I'd just say "to hell with it" and crack the stupid program. That's absurd. This is the sort of bullshit copy prevention gets us.

Well, I don't crack programs. In the case of FSX, I bought and started using X-PLANE more often. More than likely I'll just stick with that instead.

J.

 

[Saturn0660]

How is X? I still use an old copy of 2000 Premium. Mostly because I love using the Concord for around the world flights.

I think it's a lot of fun, although I also own X-PLANE and that game is out of this world awesome.

I'd just say "to hell with it" and crack the stupid program. That's absurd. This is the sort of bullshit copy prevention gets us.

Well, I don't crack programs. In the case of FSX, I bought and started using X-PLANE more often. More than likely I'll just stick with that instead.

J.

I also have X-plane for the Mac.. It's good... Looks way better the 2000 could ever hope to.

 

[Mr. B]

That's sad. When the retail product is less appealing than the pirated version there's a problem.

 

[Geckothan]

It's not sad at all and I wouldn't call it a problem. Windows is overpriced for what it is yet it's a must-have for most users, as a result it's always been one of the most commonly pirated products, and I don't see Microsoft getting any smaller as a result. Even if millions upon millions of people pirate it (which they do already), Microsoft are still making massive profit.

 

[Rii]

BRB changing OS.

 

[Marc]

It's not sad at all and I wouldn't call it a problem. Windows is overpriced for what it is yet it's a must-have for most users, as a result it's always been one of the most commonly pirated products, and I don't see Microsoft getting any smaller as a result. Even if millions upon millions of people pirate it (which they do already), Microsoft are still making massive profit.

At one point I estimated that Microsoft's profit margin before tax was around the 30% (based on their total revenues v profit) and that's a pretty nice sort of margin to have - especially when the resellers etc can only really get about 10% because there's so many out there.

 

[Rii]

Microsoft's approach to the developing world is particularly instructive. Microsoft may not like the rampant piracy of Windows in Asia and Africa, and probably wish they could charge more for it than the pittance they do in those regions, yet they much prefer the current situation to the alternative of hundreds of milions of folks embracing Linux. That shit could spread over here y'know.

 

[USS KG5]

Microsoft's approach to the developing world is particularly instructive. Microsoft may not like the rampant piracy of Windows in Asia and Africa, and probably wish they could charge more for it than the pittance they do in those regions, yet they much prefer the current situation to the alternative of hundreds of milions of folks embracing Linux. That shit could spread over here y'know.

Well to be fair Microsoft are a business not a charity, they do not exist to make good software, they exist to make money by consumers paying for software, good, bad or indifferent.

As for Linux I have posted a lot on where I feel Linux is going wrong, and there is no way that it will ever have a reasonable proportion of desktop share in its current form as a windows/apple-like desktop and start menu etc. system - and Catch 22 - there is no way it will if it tried something new.

Where it might do well is as part of Google's new OS or other basic platforms for Web apps - a seriously big part of the future where there is no guarantee of MS dominance whatsoever. Certainly by the time "Windows 8" is on the shelves (2012 or later) the computing world will look quite a bit different.

 

[CorporalClegg]

^
All Linux needs is some money behind it.

Now for some people that might seem like a paradox and it is, but with the right money and the right people, it can work.

Canonical is a step in the right direction, but it's a small step.

 

[Marc]

^
All Linux needs is some money behind it.

Now for some people that might seem like a paradox and it is, but with the right money and the right people, it can work.

Canonical is a step in the right direction, but it's a small step.

But Linux does have money behind it - IBM, Novell (owners of SuSE), Oracle all big money.

It's why Linux has made big roads into the server market - because those companies push it there.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

^
All Linux needs is some money behind it.

Now for some people that might seem like a paradox and it is, but with the right money and the right people, it can work.

Canonical is a step in the right direction, but it's a small step.

But Linux does have money behind it - IBM, Novell (owners of SuSE), Oracle all big money.

It's why Linux has made big roads into the server market - because those companies push it there.

Exactly. Nobody really wants to compete with Microsoft on the desktop, except companies with a strong niche, like Apple.

 

[Marc]

^
All Linux needs is some money behind it.

Now for some people that might seem like a paradox and it is, but with the right money and the right people, it can work.

Canonical is a step in the right direction, but it's a small step.

But Linux does have money behind it - IBM, Novell (owners of SuSE), Oracle all big money.

It's why Linux has made big roads into the server market - because those companies push it there.

Exactly. Nobody really wants to compete with Microsoft on the desktop, except companies with a strong niche, like Apple.

And for companies like Microsoft vis a vis sales of Windows Desktop are a once off until the next version comes out - they are dependant more on the sales of new PCs (thus the OEM versions).

Where as the big end servers you bundle the Linux e.g RHEL and the support services.